With training camp less than two weeks away, Lions players are squeezing in their final workout clips, and rookie defensive lineman Skyler Gill-Howard just turned in the kind of video that stops you cold.
Gill-Howard posted a series of three Instagram stories, and the last one was the real jaw-dropper. He pulled off a kip up - already a difficult move for a 280-pound player - while a 45-pound plate sat on his chest. It was the kind of display that makes you immediately understand why Detroit would be intrigued by his explosiveness as a pass rusher.
Even his own teammate had to react. In the video, Lions defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo left a comment that read, “boy WTF.”
Gill-Howard already has the look of a great camp story, and now he’s added a viral athletic feat to the mix. The hope in Detroit is that the same kind of ridiculous burst shows up on the field and helps the defensive line level up.
Gill-Howard wasn’t the only rookie getting work in before camp. Second-round pick Derrick Moore also shared footage of himself grinding ahead of the season.
Elsewhere, one of the more interesting Lions conversations right now centers on Larry Borom, who was highlighted as a potential under-the-radar player. The case for Borom starts with his experience: he has started 38 games over five years and has played both left and right tackle. His PFF grades may not jump off the page, but the context matters, especially after what he dealt with in Miami last year.
The Dolphins’ offensive line was a mess, and Borom was working with a rotating cast at right guard. With better consistency, better chemistry and Hank Fraley’s coaching, there’s reason to think he can look better in Detroit.
There’s also a real chance he matters because of how often tackles get pressed into duty over the course of a season. It’s rare for both tackle spots to stay healthy for the full year, and Borom could wind up playing meaningful snaps for a week or even a month. Bad offensive line play can wreck an offense, and that’s especially true at a position that helps define a team’s floor.
Another angle is the possibility of more jumbo packages. The idea is that the NFL is leaning harder into two- and three-tight end looks, with more teams investing in the position.
The Rams are part of that conversation, and Drew Petzing was already using plenty of tight ends in Arizona. Two years ago, they even used a high third-round pick on Tip Reiman, a 270-plus-pound blocking tight end who has caught 9 passes for 55 yards in 21 games.
The Athletic Football Podcast recently laid out why teams want more tight ends on the field. One reason is that it stretches the defense and creates more gaps to defend. Another is that offenses can force base defense, meaning three linebackers, and many teams would rather avoid putting those linebackers in coverage.
If Detroit doesn’t love its third-tight-end options, the argument goes, jumbo packages could deliver a similar effect. Borom would be an upgrade in the run game over Conklin or someone like Meeks, and in the passing game he would still require a defender to account for him.
If a team has to respect a split-out quarterback in wildcat, it has to account for that player. The same logic applies if Borom runs a short hook - the defense still has to cover it or give up an easy 5 yards.
There’s also the matchup angle. If another secondary player is pulled off the field, then Gibbs, Laporta or Jamo can run a crosser against a third linebacker, and that linebacker is likely to get cooked.
Financially, Borom also looks like a strong value. The Ravens gave blocking tight end Charlie Kolar a three-year deal averaging 8.1 million, even though his yearly catch totals were 4, 7, 9 and 10. Borom is signed for only 5 million, which makes the idea of getting a little receiving value out of him even more appealing.
The bottom line from that argument: Larry Borom could be a secret jumbo addition.
And for anyone wanting more Lions-related conversation, former quarterback David Blough, now hired as the Commanders’ next offensive coordinator, was featured in an hour-long interview with plenty of Lions talk, including discussion of Jared Goff, Dan Campbell and more.
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